The following description relates, in general, to fluid particulate filters and separators.
Filtration apparatus is used to remove solid contaminates from fluids used in manufacturing operations. In automobile assembly plants, the assembled sheet metal vehicle body is washed prior to painting operations. Other industrial operations involve machining of parts. The machined parts are washed to remove chips, cutting fluid residue, and other solids and particulate material.
In order to conserve resources, the wash fluid is recycled. The fluid is passed through a filtration apparatus which removes solids and other particulate materials so that the cleaned fluid may be recycled for further use in the industrial operations.
One type of filtration apparatus used in industrial operations is a flatbed type filter in which a filter media in the form of a thin, porous strip is indexed through a chamber containing a reservoir of fluid from industrial operations. Gravity or pressure pulls the fluid through the filter media thereby removing solids and particulates from the fluid. The cleaned fluid is then recycled to the industrial operation. The solids and particulates collect on the filter media and are removed dirty as the filter media indexes out of the filtration apparatus.
Due to the high volume of wash fluid that is passed through the filter media for cleaning, the filter media rapidly clogs with the solids and particulates removed from the industrial fluid. The filter media is frequently indexed to bring clean filter media into the chamber to continue to clean the wash fluid. The solids and particulates form a cake or residue in the filter media which retains the solids and particulates in the filter media as the filter media exits the chamber to a waste receptacle.
Due to the porosity of the filter media, which may be as low as 10 microns, small particulates, particularly, metal particulates, can pass through the filter media, and then be recycled with the clean fluid back to the industrial operation.
Another type of fluid particulate filter or separator apparatus uses a magnetic wet drum system. The magnetic drum sits in a fluid passage through which fluid contaminated with metallic particles and dirt flows. The magnetic drum is continuously rotated and collects metal particles and other debris due to magnets mounted interiorly within and across the longitudinal length of the drum.
A wiper is positioned on an opposite portion of the drum to scrape off the collected metal particles and dirt.
However, due to the continuous rotation of the drum, only a limited amount of particulates can be removed from the fluid, thereby necessitating low fluid flow rates. This may interfere with the machine operation which uses the fluid or requires larger fluid holding tanks.
Another issue with this design is that the wiper cannot remove all of the collected dirt and metal particles from the drum. The metal particles and dirt form a scum on the surface of the drum which can dry to a hard cake-like substance before reaching the wiper. Often manual cleaning is required to move all of the collected dirt from the magnetic drum.
Due to the low flow rates and the inability to remove all of the dirt and metal particles from the drum, this separator is incapable of removing all of the required dirt and metal particles from the fluid such that a portion of the dirt and metal particles are recirculated into the fluid which is recycled back to the machine using the fluid.
It would be desirable to provide a fluid particulate filter and separator apparatus which can remove substantially all of the dirt and metal particles contained in a fluid associated with a machine operation.